Al Mawakeb School

Founded in 1979 and managed by AMSI, Al Mawakeb School provides a comprehensive university preparatory education to a student body of over 5,500 (on both campuses: AlGarhoud and Al Barsha) of diverse backgrounds and nationalities.

In May 2010, Al Mawakeb School earned a five-year full term accreditation from AdvancED, an American education community that serves over 27,000 private and public schools in the US and 69 countries worldwide.
Although our medium of instruction is English, we follow a unique trilingual education program in English, French, and Arabic which enables our graduates to pursue higher education worldwide. The students begin studying the English, French, and Arabic languages as of Kindergarten.

Students of Grade 10, 11, 12 follow an academic US-style curriculum (equivalent to a US Grade 12 Diploma). There is one common curriculum without streams. Subjects are compulsory. Non Muslim students are exempted from Islamic Education.

Upon completing twelve years of education, students receive a high school diploma recognized by the UAE Ministry of Education. Our high school diploma, in tandem with the educational preparation we designed, has enabled our graduates to attend universities all over the world.

Location

Al Mawakeb has two campuses in Dubai: One in Al Barsha and the other in Al Garhoud.

Is this a non-profit school?

No.

What facilities does it offer?

Al Mawakeb School offers a broad range of facilities and activities to our students on and off campus.

Test Center
The school is an official exam center for SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and DELF (DiplômeElementaire De La Langue Française).

Notebooks 4 Books
We restructured our classes to allow the use of notebook computers to replace the traditional book. Every grade 11 and 12 student carries a notebook computer that is fully loaded with data specified by his curriculum and level. For more information about the Notebooks 4 Books (N4B), click here.

School Clinics
The school’s resident physician oversees all student health-related matters. Full time nurses on duty in school document the students medical records and are on call for any emergency.

Bus Services
The school’s air-conditioned buses equipped with tracing device, provide transportation to all students to every location in Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman.

Library
The library includes a host of references, scientific and cultural publications in Arabic, English, and French. A wide range of novels in the three languages are available for students to borrow.

Art Workshops
Art classes for grades 1 through 7 are conducted in the art workshops that are also accessible to members of the Art Club who usually are involved in designing decorations and stage props for the many school activities.

Science Labs
The science laboratories are fully equipped for each of the sciences taught (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics). Each student has direct but supervised access to the material and instruments needed to facilitate the understanding of scientific concepts, and procedures.

Computer Labs
Computer Science is an integral part of the school’s curriculum. The state-of-the-art computer lab is equipped to accommodate a complete class of 30 students, each with an individual unit. The Internet is accessible from any PC in the lab and the school utilizes the facilities available to their fullest. The computer club uses the same lab after regular school hours to practice their skills and improve them.

What is the school’s philosophy?

The school website says that “At Al Mawakeb School, we are convinced that every human being is valuable and deserves the opportunity for self-realization and self-fulfillment.

We aim to work together to provide all students with a caring environment in which learning, cooperation, self-esteem and success are valued and encouraged, thus enabling children to achieve their maximum development potential.

We are committed to helping learners acquire and use knowledge, communicate effectively, and become responsible and respectful active individuals in their community prepared to meet the challenges of the future. We will challenge students to take personal responsibility for their education and to apply their learning to a diverse and changing world.”

Curriculum

The school’s unique trilingual program in Arabic, English, and French confirms the school’s educational philosophy. The school provides Kindergarten, Elementary, Intermediate and Secondary levels for the prospective student.

Age limits:The administration adheres to the age limits as dictated by the Ministry of Education in the U.A.E. The minimum age requirement for admission into KGI is 3 years. It progresses onwards on one year basis per academic level.

Grading system:Grades range from 0-100. The passing grade is 60 for all subjects except Arabic and Islamic Education for grades 4-12.

The Academic Year and School Hours:
The academic year usually begins during the 3rd week of September and ends the first week of June. The academic staff and students are off on Fridays and Saturdays. Holidays are declared in accordance with official sources. There are 3 Terms in the scholastic year. Each Term is roughly 10 weeks. First and Second Terms are immediately followed by Term Exams, while Term 3 is immediately followed by Final Exams to conclude the year.

Classes begin at 07:50 sharp for all Grades and end at 14:30. The first bell rings at 07:45 for students to line up and get ready for class.

Summer School:
Summer school runs for 6 weeks beginning in the middle of June. Its objectives are to help new students adjust to the school and its atmosphere and also to help currently enrolled students who might have had academic difficulties during the year.

Admissions requirements

For new students enrolling in Al Mawakeb School, registration begins mid-May onwards.

All new students from KG to Grade 12 must sit for and pass an Assessment & an Interview. (Application fee/student is 500.00AED, non-refundable).

The results of the Assessment and Interview will not be disclosed until all documents have been submitted to the registrar office.

All parents must proceed to the registration/accounts department in school to complete the registration procedures & database.

Parents must sign and approve the recommendations after the entrance assessment (including special and extra classes).

Registration will be canceled if a student fails to join the school within the first 2 weeks of the academic year without prior written notice.

Registration to any class is not final until all the proper documentation is available with the administration, the annual tuition fees settled in full as per the procedure detailed below and after the approval of the Ministry of Education / Relevant Authority.

New Students applying from inside the UAE: Legalized transfer papers must be submitted before the end of June.

Grade 10, 11 and 12 students (current and new) must submit a copy of passport with residence visa valid for 6 months.

Extra Curricular

Scouts
The scouts program is a continuous adventure in learning that offers a broad range of activities to help students learn new skills, gain self-confidence, make new friends and provide service to their communities – while having fun and forming friendships. The Scout Troop is involved in many activities that teach self-reliance and independence. Besides weekly afternoon meetings, the scouts have camps, trips and many other activities and are often involved in community work.

Sports
One of the school’s strong points is its belief in a well-rounded education coupled with well-rounded activities offering the students a chance of a more personal involvement with their school and its faculty. In addition to regular physical education classes, the school extends its sports activities to involve varsity teams for girls and boys who practice after school hours and participate in Inter-school competitions. After-school sports include basketball, volleyball, football, track and field, table tennis, gymnastics and karate.

MUN
At the MUN club, students have the opportunity to discuss and debate controversial issues related to political happenings all around the world. In 2010, our students participated in the AUS Model United Nations held at the American University of Sharjah where they researched and debated several current world issues.

Robotics
Each year middle school and high school students, educators, robotics enthusiasts, and professionals from around the world gather to connect with peers, discuss technology-related ideas at GCER, and cheer on their favourite teams during the exciting autonomous robotics tournament. The Al Mawakeb School was crowned the champion in the Middle East regional tournament held at Carnegie Mellon Qatar in April. Just edging out UAE rival team the International School of Arts and Sciences in the double elimination challenge, the Al Mawakeb team won an exciting and close championship in which more than 200 students from 26 schools around the Middle East region competed.

Art Club
The Art Club offers students the opportunity to indulge in and work on any hobbies such as painting, sculpting, sketching, handicrafts or any others. The Art Club members contribute to the setting up of major school activities. They are in charge of decorating the stage for Mothers’ Day and other such events related.

Environmental Club
The Environmental Club (ECO) helps build the student’s awareness of the many environmental issues in which the student, as an individual, can make a difference.

Folklore Club
The Folklore Club encourages the students to be involved in cross cultural activities. It offers whatever means possible to facilitate and ensure a productive involvement

Drama Club
The Drama Club relies on student involvement to produce outstanding theatrical performances, some of which are in cooperation with the Folklore Club.

Computer Club
The Computer Club welcomes any student who has the talent and the wish to get better acquainted with progress in the field of computer science. Computer science is a required subject in school, but the Club was created in order to encourage students who have an interest in the field and wish to be kept up to date with changes in that particular domain.

Piano Club
The Piano Club hosts annual piano concerts where students perform piano pieces in front of a live audience. One of the piano instructor’s jobs is to supervise and guide students who wish to sit for The Royal School of Music piano exam.

Student Council
The Student Council represents the student body and is advised by an administrator or teacher. The student council oversees the publication of the annual school magazine, is in charge of organizing field trips, lectures, festivities and any other activities that the students may wish to sponsor.

KHDA rating

Acceptable (as of 2012)

One Response to Al Mawakeb School

bachirJune 15, 2014

Dear

Problem with Al mawakeb School.
We are French and we had a very badd experience with this school, a tragedy for our three children. A school that behaves like a cattle trade. Our children have learned nothing, and we lost one academic year.
These people have only the money behind the head. And they will do anything to hide the reality to get a good appreciation of the KHDA.
First they ask us to pay all fees in the begining of the year, the first day of courses they ask us to add additional fees, because (!!!) They mad a mistacke.
second day they ask us to pay special courses English and Arabic additional to all fees.
The first month was ok, after no teachers for special English, for our 3 children(!!!) For 2 months and one week before exams, teacher was found but only for 2 weeks.
And after exams, and short perdiod vacation, no special teachers !!!!
Our children had no special or regular courses (English and Arabic)..
And without progression in english no progression in other courses like science, history….
(!) My son (grade 3) because he had no courses was designed every time to assist french teacher in her courses.
my daugther (grade 11) because no courses, the responsible give her full access to movies lab (!!!!!!!)
This is in short our story with El mawakeb school.